Chapter 146 And With This Wind Send the Spring Rain

Although the Wind and Fire Judge possessed decent magical powers and formidable abilities, if the battle were to drag on, he would certainly be no match for Ma Lingyao.

Therefore, Cao Kong’s intervention this time was merely icing on the cake.

Thus, he was not greedy and only asked to observe the Wind and Fire Wheels to borrow them for comprehension.

Ma Lingyao readily agreed. Since it was merely a loan, there was no problem at all. With a flick of his magic, he tossed the Wind and Fire Wheels to Cao Kong.

"I wonder where the Daoist friend resides, so that I may retrieve these two items from you another day."

"There is a mountain beside the Kingdom of Qindao called Hidden Mist Mountain. Friend, just travel northwest from here, and you will find it."

Ma Lingyao waved his hand dashingly to acknowledge, turned around as if to leave, and the unconscious Wind and Fire Judge suddenly transformed into two peaches, which he stowed away in a cloth bag.

Cao Kong smiled and asked, "Shall I write a formal loan receipt for the divine general?"

Ma Lingyao replied, "Loan receipts? Those cannot be trusted."

"Then is the divine general not afraid that I will swallow these two treasures and refuse to return them?"

Ma Lingyao said, "You aided me; if I were to ask for them outright, it would be hard for me to refuse. But since you are only borrowing them, it is much simpler. How long will you borrow them?"

"At most ten years."

Ma Lingyao’s eyebrows rose, his demeanor arrogant, uninhibited, and soaring like a giant roc in the sky. An overwhelming aura of unbridled dominance and peerless majesty rushed forward.

"Hahahahaha! Very well. In ten years, I shall come looking for you."

His laughter was sonorous and uplifting, echoing like the cry of a golden eagle or the roar of a dragon. Then, soaring straight into the sky, he laughed loudly:

"As for swallowing these two treasures—hahahaha! I do not believe in written loan receipts, but I do believe in my own martial arts and divine powers. If you do not return them, in ten years I will surely beat you until you kneel and beg for mercy, presenting them back to me with both hands!"

Cao Kong curled the corner of his mouth, completely unconcerned. Truly, this was the temperament of the Great Emperor Huaguang, lacking no less spirit than that of the Monkey King.

Yet, heaven and earth have their order; even if one's spirit soars higher than the heavens, actions must still conform to the rules, lest one be consumed by one's own temperament.

Of course, Ma Lingyao’s cultivation, divine powers, and even his destiny were inextricably linked to his temperament. The subtlety of these connections—how blessings and misfortunes intertwine—gives one much food for thought.

The Daoist held up his right hand, within which the Wind and Fire Wheels were confined. They twined around each other like a wind dragon and a fire phoenix, fully embodying the profound mysteries of wind and fire.

Watching Huaguang’s departing figure, Cao Kong reflected on how the immortals and deities of heaven all possessed different temperaments.

Immediately afterward, he turned back and retreated into Hidden Mist Mountain to contemplate the wondrous nature of the Wind and Fire Wheels.

......

"No wonder Master told me to lend Ma Lingyao a helping hand. He must have sensed an obstruction in my cultivation and intended for me to borrow these two items to aid my practice."

Inside Hidden Mist Mountain, beside the lotus pond, precious lotuses bloomed, eternal and unfading, exuding a spiritual essence capable of enlightening the mind and awakening wisdom.

Sitting by the pond, a Daoist gazed at the Wind and Fire Wheels in his hands. Observing their profound nature in detail, he gradually sank deep into meditation.

These two items did not appear to be forged by acquired methods, but rather seemed born of the primordial chaos. Within the dual wheels resided a spark of spiritual origin, acting like a core capable of gathering the gentle winds and fierce fires of heaven and earth, possessing a Dao uniquely their own.

Cao Kong recalled the origins of the Wind and Fire Judge: they were two spirits suppressed within the Numinous Void Palace of the Emperor of Ziwei. To be subdued by the Emperor of Ziwei—even if only suppressed by a pair of weapons—was enough to demonstrate the extraordinary nature of these two spirit-monsters.

He then recalled the origins and names of the two judges of wind and fire: one was the Wind Peach, and the other was the Fire Peach.

"Wind Escapes, Fire Escapes—originally born from the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth. No wonder they were worth capturing by the Emperor of Ziwei. What a pity; though these two spirits possessed profound foundations, they could not comprehend why the Emperor of Ziwei captured them without killing them.

"Consumed by desires, they fled to the lower realm to harm people for amusement. Otherwise, had they settled their minds and submitted, even serving as a page boy to the Emperor of Ziwei, they would have had the opportunity to attain the true Dao."

Cao Kong shook his head slightly. How vast are the Three Realms? Those with deep roots are countless, yet how many can attain ultimate freedom, boundless leisure, and eternal life?

Taking them as a warning in his heart, he further fortified his original resolve.

Thus, keeping his eyes fixed on the motionless flame-core of the fire wheel while its outer flames flickered, and listening to the convergence and transformation of the wind wheel, he comprehended the profound mysteries of fire-escape and the eight winds through these wondrous transformations.

Unawares, time flowed on. Another year passed, during which he witnessed countless red flowers and green leaves, wind-blown rain, falling frost, and descending snow.

In his daily routine, he used the arts of [Spiritual Breath Diffusion] and [Concealing Wind and Gathering Qi to Nourish the Spirit] to harmonize and nurture the spiritual veins of the Hidden Mist Mountain's terrain.

If a mindful observer were to watch this mountain, they would discover that every year, the mountain "grew taller."

Whether by half an inch or a full inch—relative to the sheer size of a mountain, this counted for little—yet the mountain did this year after year, as if it possessed a life of its own.

The Impermanence Guards of Black and White had also visited several times, exchanging spiritual items of the netherworld for spiritual wine. Cao Kong was more than happy to brew it to maintain the relationship, incidentally preparing provisions for Cao Xiang and the others' future soul cultivation.

Meanwhile, Cao Kong’s own cultivation grew unconsciously. Among his abilities, the fire-escape of the [Five Elements Great Escape] naturally reached the stage of minor accomplishment.

Now, only the metal-escape was missing for all five escape arts to reach minor accomplishment. Once achieved, the world would be vast, yet few could restrain his escape techniques. Should a magical duel arise, he could advance and retreat with complete freedom.

This both rejoiced Cao Kong and left him slightly bewildered: among his countless Daoist spells and divine powers, many had achieved minor accomplishment, but none had reached moderate accomplishment.

Years ago, his senior brother, the Nine-Spirited Sage, had mentioned that Daoist spells and divine powers have three stages—minor accomplishment, moderate accomplishment, and major accomplishment—and that the gaps between these three realms are as wide as chasms. Only now did Cao Kong truly understand how high the heavens were.

Thus, turning his gaze inward to the spiritual seed in his wood-governing palace that showed signs of blooming, he murmured, "I wonder what grace it will display when the winds of the eight directions burst into bloom."

With that, he laid aside the fire wheel and devoted himself entirely to contemplating the wind wheel.

While the people within the mountains cultivated, human affairs in the mortal realm continued.

Cao Xiang practiced medicine, curing the sick and saving the dying, yet his cultivation never lagged; indeed, it progressed faster and faster. In another thirty years, he was bound to pluck the silver flower.

The caravan of the Seven Lions traveled between mountains and waters, their fame resounding among the spirits and monsters. When they occasionally visited the mountain, one could witness their aura of prosperity and wealth.

The Four Foxes mostly guarded the Kingdom of Qindao, protecting the peace of the region and taking joy in it. They deterred all demons and monsters from trespassing, strutting about proudly and spiritedly every day.

The Mountain God of Crouching Bull Mountain would also occasionally visit Cao Kong in his leisure time. Only Fairy Liu remained in deep seclusion on Tengyou Mountain to repair her damaged foundation, though she had sent letters.

The letters stated that in a year at most she would repair her foundation, and the year after that, she would attempt the trial of walking through the waters to transform into a dragon.

Upon reading the letters, Cao Kong wished only that she remain free of calamity and disaster, and that her aspirations be fulfilled.

Unawares, spring, summer, autumn, and winter turned once more.

As Cao Kong observed the wind wheel, he noted how the scenery of the four seasons differed, causing the spiritual Qi of the winds he gathered to vary as well. Inspired, he pondered deeply, attempting to absorb the winds of heaven and earth into his body, though their practical utility was limited.

Continuing his practice, he relied more heavily on his heart for comprehension, while various profound secrets surfaced in his eyes.

Time slipped by until the season of Grain Rain arrived.

This world possessed spiritual awareness, so on certain designated dates, invisible spiritual energies—unseen by ordinary people—underwent transformations.

Among them, the twenty-four solar terms were the most pronounced. These represented shifts in the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth, grand enough even for mortals to perceive.

At this moment, Grain Rain arrived. Spring rain fell in a continuous drizzle, pure and bright, nourishing all grains and stirring the fertile soil.

With a faint peal of spring thunder and soft raindrops falling upon the earth, all the common folk of the Kingdom of Qindao rejoiced.

Farmers leaned against their doorways, smiling as they looked out over their crop fields.

What mortals desired was nothing more than peace in the land and an abundant harvest of all grains. This spring rain embodied their hopes for an autumn harvest.

Perhaps the time had finally come. This rain did not merely fall upon the earth; it also fell into the heart of Cao Kong.

Within his wood-governing palace, the spiritual essence of Grain Rain imperceptibly nourished the divine seed.

The flower bloomed.

Cao Kong rejoiced, sharing the joy with the people of the Kingdom of Qindao.

With a flick of his finger, he declared, "Let this wind bear the spring rain, and grant the mortal world a bountiful harvest."